Treaty and truth-telling body cuts staff, eight months after Voice failure

It comes as Labor faces increasing pressure to set up a Makarrata Commission to oversee agreement-making between the government and First Nations peoples, more than eight months after Australia's failed Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency has confirmed it reduced the number of staff working on a national commission from three full-time equivalent positions to half a full-time equivalent in the period between September 2023 and May 2024.

"The resourcing changes to reflect requirements at a given point in time," an NIAA spokesperson told The Canberra Times.

Documents released under freedom of information show the agency spent $33,707 on employee-related costs to "undertake work on understanding treaty and truth-telling processes under way in states and territories" during the first five months of 2024.

The Albanese government committed $7.8 million to commence work on Makarrata in its first budget in 2022.

A spokesperson for Indigenous Minister Linda Burney declined to say whether less agency resources meant progress had stalled.

"We are taking our time following the referendum to get truth-telling and treaty right," Ms Burney told the 2024 AIATSIS summit in June.

Despite making up less than 4 per cent of Australia's population, life expectancy for Aboriginal people is eight years below the general population, while rates of suicide and incarceration are far higher than the national average.

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe said the establishment of a national commission was a "critical first step" towards justice and self-determination for First Nations peoples.

"Labor said they would get this done in this term of government, but we've got an election looming and we can't see any evidence of real consultation let alone a plan for implementation," Senator Thorpe said.

"If they can't commit to that then they should stop stringing First Peoples along and admit they've failed. The dishonesty is shameful and it's hurting people."

A federal truth and treaty commission was a core pillar included in the Uluru Statement of the Heart, a document for constitutional reform endorsed by more than 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders across the country.

Labor has provided sparse details on its plan to implement the Uluru pledge in full since the referendum for a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice was overwhelmingly rejected in October.

Opposition spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians, senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, said the government had displayed "outright avoidance" on its plans to pursue Makarrata.

"If the government has in fact decreased the number of people working on the project, they need to be up front with the Australian public about why they have anyone still working on it at all," Senator Price said.

The federal government backed a Greens-led bill for a national truth and justice commission last week, that would examine historic and ongoing injustices against Indigenous Australians and make recommendations to Parliament.

The minor party's private members' bill will be sent to a parliamentary inquiry.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Arnhem Land to attend the annual Garma Festival in August, where he is expected to consult with Indigenous communities.